The Devastating Effects of Having a Criminal Record

It’s unfortunate that most young people remain unaware of the impact of having a criminal record in their lives. Feldman & Lee PS and other criminal defense law firms in Kent noted that such a charge could haunt you for the rest of your life, shadowing every move you make.

This continues even after you’ve dealt with significant monetary fines, served a jail term, or both. Once this gets on your records, you have an indelible black mark. People will continually judge you base on it regardless of having reformed and abandoned your old ways.

Limited education choices

Tertiary education is an expensive affair, often needing thousands of dollars in fees and other financial needs. While grants and scholarships are handy in helping you meet these needs, sometimes they are just not enough. In such cases, you need to apply for financial assistance from federal or state government.

Unfortunately, having a criminal record can reduce your eligibility for such programs. If you’re convicted on a drug-related charge or aggressive and non-consensual sexual offenses, your chances of success are quite slim. The Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms require that you indicate if you’ve answered to drug-related charges. Ticking that box makes you ineligible for the grant unless you go through a rehabilitation program and pass random drug tests.

Limited job opportunities

Failing to secure a student loan is only the start, as it goes downhill from there. You decide to hit the job market to at least make living. With your limited skills, you can only apply for low-level jobs where you barely make the minimum wages. While some employers are lenient, others insist on a background check. Naturally, most people are quite skittish around convicted felons and this dooms your application. In your desperation to make some money, you might have to take some jobs that pay lower than minimum wages.

Having a criminal record as a young person can sentence you to a life of misery. The record serves as a black mark and it can ruin just about everything that you attempt to do or achieve.

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